Manufacture of footwear



July 13, 1937.

H. B. csolFzM/m MANUFCTURE OF FOOTWEAR Filed Aug. 51, 1935 PATENT OFFICE2,086,908 l s c MANUFACTURE OF FOOTWEAR` f Henry B. Gorman, Lynchburg,Va., assignor to Compo i `Shoe Machinery Corporation, New ,c

York, N. Y.,` a corporation of Delaware Application Augustfsi, 1935,serial No. sasso f 2 claims. c (o1- 12-142) invention relatesto `the,manufactture"` of footwear and morel particularly to the making ofwelted shoes; i y ,Y A, u

A general objectof the invention is to provide af welted` shoe of`improved construction which may be maderapidly and economically.

` More particularlv`,`` objects'` of the invention are to providemethods "of making welted shoes in` which a weltedupper may be quicklyand efficient- 10,` lyr lasted bymeans of cement .to provide allastedupper lconstruction which is well suited to have an outsole afxedtheretqalso preferably by means of cement. f

Dther objects of theV invention will in part be 15 obvious `and will .inpart appear hereinafter.

` The invention accordingly comprisesthe several steps and the`relatonrof one or more `of such stepswith respect to each ofjtheothers, and the article possessing` the "features, properties, and

20 the relation of elements; which are exemplified in the followingdetai1eddisclosure,"and thescope of the invention-Will` be indicated inthe claims.

For a'fullen understanding of the nature and `objects ofthe inventionreference should be had 25 to the following detailed description takenin connection withV 4the `accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a bottom plan view of a completed shoe i constructed inaccordance with the principles of 3o this invention, parts thereof beingbroken away better to show the construction;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary sectional view through the edge of an assembledupper used in the construction of Fig. 1;4 y

i 35 Fig. 3 is a` fragmentary transverse sectional View through theinseam portion of a shoe;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary transverse vertical sectional view correspondingto Fig. 3, but showing an outsole attached; 4o Fig. 5 is a plan view ofa fastening piece used in another forinoit` shoe embodying principles ofthis invention;`

Fig. Gis` a fragmentary sectional view oi the edge of an assembledupper, utilizing the fasten- 45 ing piece of Fig. 5;

Fig. 'l is a fragmentary transverse vertical sec` tional view across theinseam portion of a shoe; and,

i Fig. Sis a fragmentary transverse vertical sec-A 50 tional viewsimilar to Fig. '1 but showing an outsole attached.

Referring more `particularly to the drawing, and rst to Fig. 2, there isshown a portion of an assembled upper I0 which may be of any conven- 65tional plied arrangement of upper and lining mathat no filler isnecessary."

terials., Thislupper I0 is trimmed yso as to appreach but preferably notoverlapv an insole when pulled 'over a last on `which such insole islocated. That is, it has a very slight lasting allowance. Prior to`lasting operations, such upper has a welt I I, preferably of leather,superposed along its outside face, anda Vfabric fastening strip I2issuperposed along the outside face of such welt. This stripmay be ofheavy canvas, duck or other suitable strong flexible material. Thesesuperposed partsvar'e sewed together by aline of stitching I3, locatedclosely Vadjacent'. the Vedge ofthe upper;r s s An insole I4 is thenlocated on the bottom of a last l5, and theupper withv its attached weltand fastening strip is pulled over the last. In thispullingoveroperation, `the fastening strip I2 is doubled baci; onitselfso` as to overlap the insole, and this overlapped portion iscemented thereto. preferably by means of pyroxylin cement. The fabric I2affords a good base for cement and is adapted to providea'firmbond`,'and may be so thin that it permits close contact of thejuxtaposed leather parts as shown in the drawing, so

The welt II is nent roughed or,`if desired, this operation may be'performed prior to its assembly with` the upper. If the welt is roughedafter the upper has been lasted, the fasteningstrip I2 may also beroughed at the same time to provide a Wide roughed attaching surface towhich an outsole may be cemented. Cement is next applied to the welt IIand the under surface of the fastening strip I2, and an outsole I6having its marginal portions similarly roughed and coated with l cementis placed against the bottom of the welted upper and aixed thereto underpressure in a suitable sole afxing press. Preferably pyroxylin cement isused for this operation as well as for the lasting operation, althoughit is contemplated `that `other suitable `adhesives may be used ineither case.

The assembly of such a shoe is much easier than that of most weltedshoes wherein the upper and 'welt are lasted to a ribbedinsole. Further,45 the step of sewing both the welt and fastening strip along theoutside face of the upper is quite simple and facilitates handling ofthe materials, and the doubling back of the strip pulls the Welt andupper neatly into position against the side of the insole, as isindicated in Fig. 3, and at the same time provides a strong sewed jointat I3v which is so arranged that the strip can not readily pull out fromits attaching threads.

ing tabs (not shown) may be used, each of which can be sewed to theouter face of the welt and doubled back over the insole.

Another form of shoe embodying this general construction is shown inFigs. 5 to 8. Here, a fabric attaching material of canvas, duck or thelike, is provided in the form of an insole ply II2 which issubstantially co-extensive with the insole to be employed in thecompleted shoe. This ply is longitudinally slit at I1 from its heelnearly to its toe, and is provided with a plurality of lateral slitsextending from such longitudinal slit toward the edge of the ply. Theply is also provided with marginal locating notches I9 which are adaptedto be registered with similar notches (not shown) in the edge of anupper to which the described insole plyy is adapted to be attached. Thisupper III), like that described above, is trimmed at its lastingallowance edge so as to approach but not materially overlap. the insoleto which it is lasted. A welt III is superposed along the outer lace ofthe upper and the insole ply I I2 is positioned along the inner sidethereof, this operation being facilitated by the slits I I and I8. Theseparts are sewed together by a line of stitching I I3 located closelyadjacent the edge of the upper.

An insole H4, which may be slightly thinner than a conventional insole,is located on the bottom of a. last II5 and the upper with itsassociated welt and insole ply is pulled thereover, the ply affording agripping means for the pulling over machine. Cement is applied betweenthe insole and the attaching fabric H2, and the latter is affixed to theinsole with its various slit sections reassembled in substantially theposition indicated in Fig. 5 to provide a composite insole including theparts IM and II2.

A suitable filler material IIB is packed in the bottom of the forepartof the thus formed lasted upper interiorly of the inseam, and an outsoleI I 6 is attached to the welt I I I, either by stitching or cementing.

This form of shoe also provides substantial economies, and is capable ofrapid and easy manufacture.

It will be seen that a method of manufacturing welted shoes has beenprovided which is well suited to fulfill its intended functions.

Since certain changes in carrying out the above process, and certainmodifications in the article which embody the invention may be madewithout departing from its scope, it is intended that all mattercontained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawingshall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

It is also to be understood that the following claims are intended tocover all of the generic and specific features of the invention hereindescribed, and all statements of the scope of the invention which, as amatter of language, might be said to fall therebetween.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is:

1. In a method of making a shoe, the steps comprising locating a thininsole on a last, providing an assembled upper of a size to approach butnot to overlap said insole when pulled over said last, superposing awelt along the outer face of the margin of said upper, providing afabric insole ply corresponding in shape with said insole,longitudinally slitting said ply from the heel nearly to the toe,slitting said ply lateraly from said first slit toward but not to itsedges in a plurality of places, stitching the edges of said ply to saidupper and welt closely adjacent the edge of the upper, pulling saidupper and ply over the last, cementing said ply, and sticking it to saidinsole with its slit portions closely reassembled.

2. In a method of making a shoe, the steps comprising locating an insoleon a last, providing an assembled upper of a size to approach but not tooverlap said insole, superposing a welt along the outer face of themargin of said upper, providing a fabric insole plycorresponding inshape with said insole, slitting said ply so as to enable it to bepulled oversaid last when attached to said upper, stitching the edges ofsaid ply to said upper and welt closely adjacent the edge of the upper,pulling said upper and ply over the last, cementing said ply andsticking it to the insole with its slit portions closely reassembled butnot overlapping, and attaching an outsole to said Welt.

HENRY B. GORMAN.

